


A Matter Of Choices

by mercutio_ofthetragedy



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canonical Character Death, Crimson Flower Related Nightmares, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Golden route, Late Night Conversations, Mention of Past Mental Instability, Nightmares, Not Really Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:54:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29512812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mercutio_ofthetragedy/pseuds/mercutio_ofthetragedy
Summary: Edelgard has a nightmare, and it makes her realise how much she is glad of her choices...
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Edelgard von Hresvelg, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Kudos: 26





	A Matter Of Choices

**Author's Note:**

> Text edited! Hope it looks better now

_ Edelgard was almost entirely sure that this torrential rain had not happened by sheer coincidence. Just on the day she was about to make the most painful and difficult decision of her life, a downpour was hiding the tears that were bathing her face. _

_ On her knees, in front of her, lay what remained of the friendly and kind boy who once held a special place in the heart of the Empress. His face was darkened by anger, by the pain caused by betrayal, and his eyes were full of hatred and disappointment. _

_ Edelgard could still remember the day he had met him in the Kingdom capital. He had approached her with a tender smile on his face, his blue eyes sparkling with curiosity. His presence had made her exile much easier to bear. _

_ But she remembered with particular affection the day she was forced to leave: the dagger he gave her for years was the most precious thing she owned, and only because she didn't want to admit that it still was. _

_ What was in front of her now seemed not even a human being. Rancor and madness had devoured what was once a kind heart, and had left behind some kind of anthropomorphic beast, fueled only by the insatiable thirst for blood and the desire for revenge.  _

_ Edelgard swallowed hard, trying not to show how bitterly she was regretting her choices. _

_ “Don’t you dare turn back now!”she yelled to herself:”You’re so close to the world you always dreamed of! You can’t give up now!”. _

_ The axe was suddenly heavy in her hand, but she lifted it over her shoulder anyway, preparing to deliver the final blow to her enemy. She could barely see his eyes but one glance from him was enough for her voice to start shaking. _

_ “Farewell, King of Delusion. If only...If only you were born in a time of peace.”. _

_ He remained silent for a moment, then his expression suddenly softened. Almost like he had accepted his fate, his loss. He looked up at her and smiled one last time. _

_ “To the fires of eternity with you, El.” _

_ Her axe swung. _

———————————————————

Edelgard’s scream filled the room the moment she woke up, cold sweat sticking unpleasantly to her nightgown. Dimitri sat up quickly, startled by her yell, and placed a strong hand on her back:“El, are you alright?! Did you have a nightmare?!”.

Upon hearing his voice she whipped her head to face him. The dim moonlight filtering through the window di little to light the room, but she could still recognise the prince. In the flesh, alive and well. Hesitantly she reached forward with a trembling hand, and caressed his cheek with her fingertips:“You...You’re alive...”.

Dimitri initially blinked at her remark. Then, when he realised what she had most probably dreamed of, he smiled softly:“Of course. I’ve already told you, I won’t die on you.”.

Edelgard took a moment to take hold of her surroundings. When she was sure it wasn’t just another dream she threw herself in Dimitri’s arms, face buried in his chest as she cried. The prince held her close, kissing her hair and lovingly caressing her back:“It was just a dream. You have nothing to fear, El.”.

Edelgard knew that. Dimitri was strong, stronger than any man she had ever met. And yet all in her dream felt so vivid, so real she could still feel the rain tickling her skin and the weight of the axe in her hands, which she used to grip Dimitri’s shirt as if she was holding on for dear life.

It took her a few minutes to calm down, minutes during which the prince didn’t even dare to move a muscle, and when she pulled away he still held her hand. Edelgard dried her remaining tears, and did her best to smile at her beloved.

“I’m so, so happy you’re here with me...”she said unconsciously, he voice still cracking. Dimitri smiled back and kissed her forehead:”So am I. If it hadn’t been for you, right now I would be nothing more than a walking corpse.”.

What he had said was painfully true, even though Edelgard refused to believe it.

_ On the day of the millennial of Garreg Mach, living up to the promise made 5 years prior, she had returned to the monastery. There, for the first time in forever, she had let melancholy take over her as she walked around the ruins of  _ _ what once was her school. A place filled with dear memories she had desperately tried to push away.  _

_ Then, as she had looked up to the sky to enjoy the first light of day, she had seen the place that held her most precious memory: the Goddess Tower. _

_ If she thought of that she still chuckled like an enamoured schoolgirl. On the night of the ball she had seen Dimitri exit the ball room, supposedly to get away from the chaos and breath some fresh air. _

_ She had planned on telling him the truth about his parents and friends’ death for a long time, not only for strategic purposes but also for respect: he was involved, he deserved to know. And now that he was alone it sounded like the perfect moment. _

_ Edelgard had followed right behind him, careful not to be noticed by any of the students, and approached him in the desert courtyard. Nonetheless, even though nobody was really outside or near them, she had preferred to be completely sure nobody would have listened, so she had invited him to the Goddess Tower. Dimitri had seemed to be flustered by such a request, but agreed and followed. _

_ Once there, she had taken her time to explain to him everything she knew. It took a lot for her to keep herself from breaking down, but she had refused to give in to the pain brought by memories of her time as a prisoner. Ultimately, she had told him about her plan to defeat the Church.  _

_ Surprisingly enough, it hadn’t took much for him to agree, which had surprised the young princess. When questioned about the reason of such a quick decision, he had answered something plain enough. _

_“All these years I never knew the truth about what happened. I’ve been wondering why I survived the slaughter, why anyone else couldn’t go on living that day. You are the first one all my life that gave me the answer I’ve been looking for.”._

_At first Edelgard hadn’t known how to reply, then she collected the resolve to inquire further:“And what if I was lying to you? What if all I told you was nothing more than a lie?”. She couldn’t believe he would be that  naive._

_ Dimitri has closed his eyes, thinking about a proper answer to give her. Then he had come up with the unthinkable. _

_“If that was true, and you really were lying to me...Even so I wouldn’t be able to deny all the pain the Church has caused. If there really is a goddess out there, I don’t believe this is what She would have wanted. If I won’t be able to avenge those I lost, I can make a better life for those that will come.”._

_ Edelgard has went speechless at his words. They sounded so genuine, sincere. He truly believed in her. _

_ “What’s more...”he had resumed again, to her surprise. Did he have an ulterior motive? _

_ “...I don’t care what I’ll fight for, if I’ll be able to fight at your side.”. _

_“Care...to elaborate?”had asked Edelgard. He couldn’t really mean that , right?_

_ “What I mean to say is...I love you, Edelgard. Dearly. All I want is to be able to be with you. And if, to achieve that, I have to fight against the Goddess herself, I’ll be more than happy to comply.”he had affirmed all in one breath, his cheeks tainted by a deep red. _

_ Edelgard’s heart had never felt more fuller, lighter. This man was willing to fight a war for her, to die by her side. And all she knew at the time was that all the love he had showed was so overwhelming that she had hugged him without thinking. _

_ That very night they promised each other that they would have been there again, on the night of the ball of five years later, and that they would have exchanged vows. _

_ But then, when the Garreg Mach fell, he had been captured by the Kingdom forces who had declared him a traitor. Edelgard heard had been executed as soon as he had been captured. _

_ She didn’t know what had pushed her up the stairs of the Goddess Tower. Maybe some strained, foolish hope, maybe melancholy. Even so, she hadn’t expected to find anyone. _

_ So, as soon as she arrived to the top floor, she almost had a heart attack. Hidden in the shadow, clothes stained with blood and spear in hand, Dimitri was sitting as still as a statue. _

_ “It can’t be...can it?...Dimitri?” _

_ He had lifted up his head, his gaze empty even after seeing her. He hadn’t moved a muscle, he hadn’t said a word. _

_ Edelgard has walked closer to him. He had gnashed his teeth at her sudden closeness:“So you died as well...I should have know you would have blamed it on me too.”he had growled, his voice thick with what sounded like fear and regret. _

_ Edelgard had kneeled down to his level, looking at him in the eyes. She would have wanted to sound reassuring, but in the end her own voice came out thick with tears:“...I’m sorry I left you behind...Everything will be alright...”. _

_ Only then Dimitri’s eyes had started to shine again. Once he had realised that his beloved was actually there with him, that it wasn’t just another hallucination, he had embraced Edelgard tightly, holding her like she was his last hope. _

“You saved me, El. If I’m here, I owe it to you. And I’m not leaving, no matter what.”he stated, finally reassuring her completely. She gave in to his embrace once again as they laid back on the bed.

For those long, five years, Edelgard had thought she would have had to fight on her own. That Dimitri had truly died for her choices. And now that he was with her again, her biggest fear was to lose him again.

That nightmare had just opened her eyes to how much more difficult and lonely her path would have been if she hadn’t trusted Dimitri back then. She whispered to him before falling asleep.

“Dimitri.”

“Yes, dear?”

“I’m glad I’ve told you the truth.”

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to make this as long as I could. Hope you enjoied it!


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